(1) Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a portable device for picking up litter and in particular, a device for picking up dog litter.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
A variety of devices have been provided in the past to pick up different types of litter and, in particular, to provide an ecological benefit by providing dog owners with a device to enable them to pick up after their dog. These devices are generally of two types. One is a shovel type of device which is slid under the litter, and thus picks up the litter for disposal. The second type of device involves those types of devices having movable jaws and some type of pistol grip operating handle. However, none of the devices known provide movable jaws in which the opening between the jaws can be adjusted, and whereby the amount of tension in a jaw-control spring may also be adjusted by simply varying the length of a control cable which extends from an operating handle to the jaws. Similarly, none of the prior art devices provides a two-piece handle allowing the lower section to be rotated with respect to the upperhandle section, to thus dispose the jaws in a variety of positions for easy pick up of litter. Thus, litter may be picked up when it is in inconvenient positions such as behind a bench or a tree, without the user having to contort himself or herself to arrange the jaws in a convenient position for pick-up. Also, the length of the pickup device can be adjusted easily because of the slip joint connection connecting the handle sections; thus the length can be adjusted from a length of approximately 30 inches in which it would resemble a cane to a shorter length of approximately 12 to 18 inches wherein the pickup device can be easily carried and transported.